In my post on the fun fair here in town the other day, the discussion in some of the comments gave mention to some of the amusement parks in Singapore going way back to a long long time ago. I was quite sure that the fair was no longer active at Great World when I was there in 1973 but it says here in wiki that it was not till 1978 that they actually closed it down.
One thing that I can remember for sure was that there was a cinema in that amusement park, the Globe, showing reruns of old movies that I had missed when I was in school as I was not allowed to attend most of the good shows that hit the silver screen at the time on school days and one that I clearly remember was this one – S.W.A.L.K Melody and my favourite song from the soundtrack…
Now that we are on the topic of the old cinemas in Singapore, I remember going to the Lido along Orchard Road/Scotts Road to watch this movie from which this theme song was taken from…
…but that was not in 1973. I think it was the end of 1969 or early 1970 when I visited Singapore for the first time. Of course, while I was there 1973/74, I did see a lot of movies at a number of the cinemas there including the Orchard at Grange Road and the movie and theme song that has stayed in my mind all these years would be this one…
Memories light the corners of my mind
Misty water-coloured memories of the way we were…
Ah yes!!! I remember I went to the Jurong Drive-in too but I cannot remember what movie we watched that night…and of course I went to shows at the Cathay as well…and the Capitol – I remember the little coffee house/ice cream palour beside its entrance along North Bridge Road and yes, there was the Odeon at North Bridge Road where I watched the Poseidon Adventure and it was around that time, I think it was the following day that we received news of this tragedy at the mouth of the Rejang River…and I think it was at the Odeon too that I saw The Towering Inferno and when I came out of the cinema, there was a massive fire at some of the rows of old shophouses in the vicinity. Talk about coincidences!
I do not go to the movies anymore these days not at those prices one would need to fork out to see one. Why, they are no longer called cinemas. Now, they have cineplexes or the one here in Sibu is a trioplex – with three halls. I think there are others elsewhere with a lot more and trying to buy a ticket can be quite a pain especially if there is a box office hit showing at the same time…and one would have to be careful not to buy a ticket for the wrong movie. Oh dear!!! Needless to say, you would be hard-pressed to ever get to see something like this outside…
– something some of us may remember, a regular feature outside some cinemas around at the time.
What about you? Is there any movie that you hold dear to your heart, memories of when you watched it at a cinema…
…a long long time ago?
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Yes, I remember watching the movie S.W.A.L.K. (Seal With A Loving Kiss) & the familiar sight of the snacks being sold outside the cinemas. Is that the Cathay cinema in Kuching? Looks alike & if my memory serves me right, I watch my first movie….”The Sound Of Music” there. With special request & rates for school going children ( I was in primary school at that time),our class teacher brought the whole class to watch the movie. Bet that is the only movie hold dear to my heart.
Yes, yes. We had special concessions for school students during our time – 50 cents only, sat upstairs reserved seats some more! All students in the cinema from all the schools in town. We went to movies like The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady – the latter was at Lido, burnt down already, no more. 😦
That’s right, that’s Cathay, looking so sad and neglected. I went to Oriental Park there for the kolo mee – among the best in Kuching.
The Old Cathay in old pasar of Kuching. I have been there. Way way back when I were a small child. I remember I have been there but don’t remember what I watched.
I actually been to most of those old cinemas as a kid. My parents love to go to cinema (I guess the only entertainment that time) so I have been to those old cinemas before they closed down. Now just left the building to rot or taken now and another building standing at the sites now.
Amusement park in Singapore. Been to one when I visited Singapore when I were a young kid, maybe 6 or 7 years old then. Remember it was indoor and we played those rides; in robot, in train etc. My mum had photos of our vacation. Maybe one day I would blog about it. Throwback post!
That would be interesting. Indoor amusement park in Singapore? I wonder where that was.
Yes, all closed down now – some demolished like Capitol or Odeon in Padungan. Is Swee Hua, Jalan Satok still there? I wonder what the rest are being used as now – like Kenyalang (I saw Ah Bee singing live there, you know Kenny Bee), Lido – at one time, it was Hollywood East! Rex is still there but it is Star Cineplex now, I think…and I dunno what Miramar is now, the building is still there.
You would have been to Cathay not too long ago, I think – when your hubby took you there to eat the Oriental Park kolo mee. Easy to park at the multi-storey car park, walk a bit to this place…or Open Air…or India Street.
Last time, my hometown there were cinemas like this too. I remember I went there with my then boy friend for many movies . Yes, we could bring in numerous junk food and tit bits. Unlike now, pop corns and soft drinks are all very expensive.
Come, come, tell us all. How many boyfriends did you have? Sure you had a lot of guys standing in line at the time, right or not? 😉
Believe it or not, my time, we had “aerated water” selling for only 30 sen a bottle. How we loved drinking those! Drink cherry and we would have sexy kissable cherry lips. Drink banana and we would all turn green, like Incredible Hulk. Muahahahahahaha!!! The things we ate and drank then – and we’re still alive! 😀
my first movie was Superman II with the late christopher reeves. my father brought me, it was an old theatre, and i remember being very scared by all the villains, and my dad was irritated at me cos i wanted to leave the movie and he forced me to stay, haha 😀
LOL!!! Oh dear!!! You scaredy cat! So that was why you decided to stick as Clark Kent, journalist, not Superman? 😀 😀 😀
Gee!!! You’re so young – I saw the first one and I was not kid already by then. OMG!!! I’m ancient!!! 😥
Such wonderful memories! I do remember the good old cinema of days past. I used to go to either Rex or Cathay back in Kuala Terengganu with my grandparents/auntie/father. I remember I watched Jaws and King Kong. Outside the cinema there was a kacang putih man selling kacang putih and peanuts wrapped on paper shaped like a cone. I haven’t been to the cineplex for ages now. I very much prefer watching movies at home.
Jaws!!! I was in Singapore on holiday at the time and I went with a friend to watch. There was one part when the shark just shot out of the water to bite someone’s hand…and he shouted so loudly, and everyone in the cinema shouted too. Then somebody behind us said, “We shouted because we all jumped out of our skin because of the guy’s shout!” *face palm* That was, if I remember correctly, one of the newer cinema at the time, late 70’s – the Prince, along Beach Road.
Yes, I loved those thin cones filled with kacang putih – those Indian guys were really good at rolling it up.
Great videos and post!
Thank you!
You brought back many happy memories. We used to rush out of school when it ends at 1 pm and go to Capitol, Odeon or Cathay cinemas for movies. Another favourite haunt was that milk bar at Capitol that you mentioned. We could spend hours there. This would be around 1965 or earlier.
I never used to go to Great World, but more to Happy World in Geylang during our uni days, especially to the large billiard parlour there.
Yes, that was known as a milk bar, the one at Capitol. I cannot remember exactly but I think we could have ice cream and milkshakes there and some things to eat, sandwiches, pork chop or the likes of those.
Your school was around there? Catholic High, was it? Along Bras Basah Road. No more there, of course. I think the current Lee studied there too before.
My school here in Sibu finished at 1.30 and the matinee started at 2, so I had to miss all the good movies screened here on weekdays – usually for just one day or maybe two. 😦
I was in Raffles. Now also no longer there.
Oh? RI was in that area too, didn’t cross my mind. Only thought of Catholic High…and Convent, now a very happening night spot – what an irony.
I miss those kacang putih which i buy when i was a kid…
Last I saw was a few years ago in Penang in front of an Indian cinema – the one in the photo. Of course I simply had to stop to buy. I remember expensive and very little, cannot remember how much now.